[ENGINE REVS] NARRATOR: It's the nation's favorite antiques experts.

Yeah!

Super-cool.

How about that?

NARRATOR: --behind the wheel of a classic car-- [LAUGHTER] --and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

[HORN BLOWS] [LAUGHS] NARRATOR: The aim?

To make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no mean feat.

There will be worthy winners-- Yes!

NARRATOR: --and valiant losers.

Blasted.

NARRATOR: Will it be the high road to glory, or the slow road to disaster?

[BANG] - Oh, my god!

I think something's wrong with the car!

NARRATOR: This is the "Antique's Road Trip."

[THEME MUSIC] Nice.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Check your pipes and rev up your vintage engines.

It's a brand-new road trip.

And out on the chilly Caledonian roads this morning is seasoned tripper, antiques broker, David Harper, with a fresh-faced first-timer.

Who's he?

[MUSIC PLAYING] Well, I'm Angus.

[LAUGHS] [LAUGHS] Is that it?

Well, no.

Angus Ashworth from Ryedale in North Yorkshire.

DAVID HARPER: I've heard a lot about you.

Is it all true?

Only the good bits.

[LAUGHS] NARRATOR: Butter wouldn't melt, eh?

Angus owns his own auctioneering business.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I've been an auctioneer since I was 16.

I was in high school.

16.

DAVID HARPER: Have you?

Have you really?

Yeah.

So I've always been sort of involved with it.

Although I've been away from the industry and back.

I was in the Reserve Forces and went and did two tours of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Well, that's quite different, isn't it?

It is a bit, yeah.

The [INAUDIBLE] into the army.

So I already had an interest with the militaria.

And that's what got me into antiques, really.

Was it?

Watching "Sharp" on television.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: I like him already.

[MUSIC PLAYING] ANGUS ASHWORTH: Finished my last exam, and on a Sunday left home.

And a couple of weeks after my 16th birthday, moved into a bed set and started in a sale room.

Good lord.

Like it.

Like it.

And millennials watching this will not understand that.

You know that?

- No.

Well, they have to go to school until they're 18 now.

Don't they?

- I know.

They'll be 30 next.

It would have destroyed me.

Two more years at school-- [LAUGHS] Well, me too.

I was gone at the moment I could be gone.

I was gone.

I was also requested to leave, but that's another story.

[LAUGHS] NARRATOR: And we're not going there.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Now, is there something a wee-bit sinister about this 1973 VW Karmann Ghia?

Yes.

It's left-hand drive.

[MUSIC PLAYING] The shape of this car and the body is just extra-sexy.

Isn't it?

Sorry, me or the car?

- No, the car.

- The car?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah.

- OK.

Thanks anyway.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: Don't mention it.

[CHUCKLES] With 200 pounds each in their pockets, David and Angus are going forth from Stirling, touching Scotland's east and west coasts, before looping through Lancashire and Yorkshire to a last auction in Northumberland.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Listen, we're near Falkirk.

This is Scotland.

You're called Angus.

Where's the Scottish accent?

Have you lost it?

- I was born in Yorkshire.

- Ah.

OK. Yeah.

[LAUGHS] Dad works a lot in Scotland, so that's the Scottish relation.

- Really?

Is that right?

So there's no Scottish family?

Very distantly.

But it was good, because I was the only Angus at school.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Did they not make you wear a kilt?

Mom tried to make me wear a kilt, but-- [LAUGHS] I couldn't get on with it, really.

A bit drafty.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: [LAUGHS] Folk are feeble south of Hadrian's Wall.

But this is Braveheart territory today, close to Bannockburn.

And Stirling Castle is glowering in the low light.

Angus will be hoping for victory at his first shop, Rivivo Furniture.

DAVID HARPER: Go and enjoy yourself.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah.

Good luck with yours.

DAVID HARPER: Here's a helping hand.

Oh-- [LAUGHS] see ya.

DAVID HARPER: See ya.

NARRATOR: Wouldn't want to be ya.

[CHUCKLES] [MUSIC PLAYING] This is a veritable cavern of antique, vintage, and retro for Angus to trawl.

First day of the road trip, first shop.

What are we going to find?

Loads of mid-century in here.

Very great designs.

Not necessarily my comfort zone, but we'll look hard.

I'm sure we'll find something good.

Want to make a good impression on the first day.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Come on, then.

Show us what you're made of.

Oh, well look.

This is a perfect lot for the road trip.

I mean, look at this.

Not only have we got the vintage new game Auctioneer that suits me to a tee, we also have Touring Scotland game.

So what better there?

I mean, there's me and David in the classic car touring around Scotland.

Great.

I mean, what a bit of fun.

NARRATOR: Time to get serious about a purchase now, though.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Well, look at this fantastic gnome nutcracker.

Now, this is probably carved out of beech.

Early 20th century, early mid-20th century.

It's been heavily varnished.

It's hard to pick out the grain of the wood to actually what it is.

It's got no price ticket on it.

But quirky items.

I'm going to go who have a little chat to the dealer and see where we are on this.

Hi, Thomas.

Hi.

I found this.

Quite quirky.

A bit of fun.

Wondered-- - Just in.

That's the one-- - Just in.

That's what I like to hear.

Nice, fresh stock.

Excellent.

So where are we on price?

I don't know.

25 pounds.

It's a German nutcracker.

25 pounds?

OK, OK.

Seems fair enough.

A couple of other bits I'm potentially interested in, so can I put that to one side for now?

Of course you can.

And I'm going to come back to some more bits and see what we can do.

- Thanks.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: 'Atta boy.

Now, I wonder what David makes of our new boy, Angus.

He's either a very good actor, and underneath, he's panicking like crazy, which I hope he is, or it might be his military training.

Maybe he's harking back to the days of being a soldier, and he's keeping calm under pressure.

It's a great skill.

It's a great talent.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Time will tell.

David is making his way a few miles northwest now to the town of Doune.

What's that?

Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of ogre bellies!

[CHUCKLES] Yes, it's Doune Castle, home of some very rude Frenchmen in the 1975 film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

But David has a polite rendezvous elsewhere at the desirable curio.

Stand by for this.

Crikey.

Hello.

- Hello, David.

- Hello.

Sharon, is it?

- It is.

- Hello, Sharon.

- Pleased to meet you.

Well, pleased to meet you too.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: A very classy shop.

Lovely.

DAVID HARPER: Now, what about this?

SHARON: It's a sort of Morroccan table.

Fairly modern, with inlaid brass.

And a little bit of a warp on the top, but-- Well, what's wrong with a bit of a warp on the top?

Nothing.

Place reflects.

[LAUGHS] How old do you think it is?

I thought it was probably '70s.

I think it's earlier.

I'd say that's early 20th century.

I think it's '20s, '30s.

NARRATOR: Looks as '70s as a prawn cocktail to me.

So it's designed for the tourist industry.

So it does come apart and collapses.

DAVID HARPER: So the lid comes off?

SHARON: Yep.

And there's little buttons at the bottom.

Yeah.

Go on.

Show us, Sharon.

- There we go.

- You're like a magician.

Look at that.

- [LAUGHS] That's clever, isn't it?

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Its price tag is 38 pounds.

[MUSIC PLAYING] I love this kind of furniture, and I love Eastern style as well.

I think if it was older and finer, I wouldn't mind paying the money.

But I think in auction, it's going to be 20 quid.

SHARON: OK.

So I think I'll leave it.

It's not 20 quid, is it?

- No.

- No.

OK, that's fine.

That's fine.

I could it for 20 if you want.

You could do it for 20?

I could do it for 20, yeah.

DAVID HARPER: So I'm not going to think about it.

Warped top and all, of dubious age and quality, I'll have it.

Thank you very much.

You too.

NARRATOR: Well, that was generous.

So, how's our new man getting on back in Stirling?

[MUSIC PLAYING] I think we've got a nice set of Edwardian apocryphal scales.

They're lovely decorative pieces.

Very popular nowadays for dressing windows and that sort of thing.

So good, attractive piece.

It's got a name plaque on it there, which is nice.

And you've got a drawer there to keep all your bits in.

Now, there's quite a few sets of weights here.

I'm going to shout Thomas and see if they can come in with the deal.

So let's see.

You're about-- THOMAS: Hey, Angus.

I'm just looking at these nice scales.

Do the weights come with it?

You've got all these sets of weights.

THOMAS: They do, indeed.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: So that's lovely.

50 pounds is the set.

Is there much movement in that?

I could maybe take-- let's call it 40 pounds.

40 pounds?

OK. NARRATOR: I can see he's weighing it up.

Boom, boom.

Get it?

Yeah.

But there may be other treasures.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Oh.

That's quite nice.

Sort of Indo-Persian.

Probably late 19th century.

They've got it here as a swing-top wooden box.

This would have been a spice box.

So these compartments here, you would have had all your spices in.

And you would get them on, and that would have sat on the side.

So just a nice thing, carved, quite decorative.

Just priced over 10 pounds.

NARRATOR: And you wouldn't haggle on that, would you?

Right.

It's time to parlay with Thomas.

[MUSIC PLAYING] All right, Thomas-- Hey there.

I found a few more bits.

So there's the scales that we talked about earlier.

THOMAS: Oh, brilliant.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Also, the nutcracker that we talked about.

And I found this spice box as well.

It's a nice decorative thing.

Sort of 10 pounds.

Now, I was wondering if you'll take all three as a package.

I'd like to give you a good deal.

65 pounds.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: 65 pounds, the three all together?

THOMAS: For the lot.

Yeah, I'm going to go for that.

65.

- Thanks very much.

Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

Well, let me just get some money out.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: 40 pounds for the scales, 15 for the nutcracker, and 10 for the spice box.

Angus, your inaugural purchases are complete.

But what's the story back in Doune?

DAVID HARPER: What on Earth is that?

SHARON: [LAUGHS] - Show me that.

OK. That big, old lamp.

It's got something about it.

Doesn't it?

It really is a bit of a monster.

Isn't it?

It is.

We reckon it possibly came from a church.

Not sure what era.

It would have been probably 1910, 1920.

Yeah.

I think even possibly a bit earlier.

Yeah.

It's just the base that drew it to me.

I just love the base.

DAVID HARPER: So it's a solid oak stepped base on bracket feet.

That is a really good bit of kit.

Yeah.

There is no doubt about it.

It's the heaviest oil lamp I've ever held.

DAVID HARPER: Is it really?

Really?

SHARON: Yeah.

It's really, really heavy.

DAVID HARPER: And look at that.

That oil lamp is-- almost a massive candle-holder has been made to accept that brass and glass oil lamp, which has never been converted.

Has it?

No.

It could be converted to a light, electric light.

How much is it?

This piece, I could do-- it would be 38.

Well, I'll have it.

Thank you very much, indeed.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: Sold to the man in the matching trousers.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Right.

Thank you, Sharon.

So I owe you 20 pounds for the dubious quality 20th century table.

Thank you.

And I owe you 38 pounds for the late 19th century oil lamp.

Cheerio.

SHARON: Cheerio.

DAVID HARPER: Bye-bye.

NARRATOR: And with that, he was "Doune and oot."

[CHUCKLES] Who writes this stuff?

Meanwhile, Angus is meandering north into the rolling hills of Strathearn and Gleneagles, home to the British School of Falconry.

Angus is off to investigate how this one-time sport of kings was brought into army service in World War II.

In the grounds of the world-famous hotel, Emma Ford is waiting with a feathered friend.

Hello, Emma.

Angus.

How do you do?

Angus, hello.

This is Rom.

Rom.

What a fantastic chappy.

Welcome to Gleneagles.

Thank you very much.

Let's go and have a look.

Absolutely.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: falconry is an ancient sport dating back at least two millennia.

The original definition was the training of wild birds of prey, hawks and falcons, to catch game for the falconer.

It was a means of people being able to capture wild game long before the days of the shotgun.

NARRATOR: One of the oldest recorded sports, these magnificent raptors were flown by nobles and monarchs for pleasure and for showing off.

Birds from this area around Auchterarder were particularly highly-prized.

EMMA: Auchterarder is the nearest village to Gleneagles.

Auchterarder means "Upper Highland" originally, and King Malcolm III of Scotland had a hunting seat here.

And he'd venture out from Old Auchterarder Castle into the countryside with his falconers for various hunting forays.

But also, Mary Queen of Scots, her favorite strain of peregrine falcons, which used to be taken from the wild for her to train each year, they came from the Oak Hills, which lie just opposite Gleneagles.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: But in 1939, this sport was turned into a secret weapon.

What's of particular interest to me is how the falcons were used in the war effort.

EMMA: There was a falconer called Ronald Stephens.

He got in touch with the Ministry of Defense and related the story of King Richard, who had a number of falconers which he asked to use their falcons to take out pigeons which the Turks were using to carry messages.

And he suggested that they did the same thing, to take out German pigeons that were carrying messages into the British Isles.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: The RAF were convinced and gave the green light to this undercover project.

Ronald Stephens set about training suitable falcons, training which would have been identical to that used by King Richard or Mary Queen of Scots.

They established on the Isles of Scilly a sort of battalion of falconers, who always made sure that they had one falcon in the air during daylight hours.

And they'd watch for enemy pigeons coming in.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: And is Rom similar to the birds that would have been used?

Rom is a peregrine cross lanner falcon.

Mainly, they were using peregrines back in Ronald Stephens's days for that purpose.

But we can actually show you, if you'd like to see, how Rom is trained.

Because that would have been exactly the same methods as the falcons that were trained to take out enemy pigeons.

That would be absolutely fantastic.

I'd like to see that.

- OK. Let's have a look.

- Thank you.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: The peregrine falcon can intercept its prey in the air, hence the reason they were the perfect choice during World War II.

So what Steve's doing here now is he's taking the hood off Rom.

And Rom's going to go off probably fairly quickly.

Steve's going to use the lure to simulate a bird in flight.

It's the closest we can come, been grounded, to emulating the falcon's natural flight of prey.

And the natural hunting techniques of falcons were emulated by the fighter pilots in World War II.

Studying falcon behavior, they could see that the falcons would use techniques like dropping out of the sun, coming in behind their prey.

And you can see how that translates.

The way it's moving in the sky, that could quite easily be a spitfire, couldn't it, dropping in.

- Yes.

I mean, look at the speed there.

He's absolutely incredible.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I mean, phenomenal speed.

The top recorded speed for a peregrine falcon in a vertical stoop, coming straight down, 217 miles per hour.

That's incredible.

And now Steve's going to make into the falcon with a piece of food to persuade him to give up his kill and to step up.

And in falconry terms, that's important.

Because if that was a real pigeon, he'd have quite a lot of food there.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Food, yeah.

And if he ate all of it, he'd be too fat to do any work for days.

And then, presumably, wouldn't then need to feed for another several days.

For several days.

Exactly.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Right, Angus.

Time to risk those fingers.

So I'm going to give you a piece of meat here.

OK. And if you look right up there-- Oh, I can see him.

- [WHISTLES] - Oh, my word.

There it is.

[MUSIC PLAYING] [BELL JINGLES] [CHUCKLES] Oh, hey.

What a majestic chappy.

NARRATOR: Certainly is.

Watch out for your thumb.

[BELL JINGLES] Time for us now to fly, [CHUCKLES],, to catch up with David, who's on his way to Britain's smallest county, Clackmannanshire, where, nestling under the Oak Hill hills, is our next antiques emporium, Alva Antiques.

[MUSIC PLAYING] DAVID HARPER: Now, you must be Tom.

I am.

David, pleased to meet you.

Very, very good to meet you, Tom.

Is this all you?

TOM: Yep.

This is a good day, Tom.

Oh, here's hoping.

Here's hoping.

It's a good day coming your way.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: That's nice.

A bit like a TARDIS, this place.

Full of interesting things.

Hmm.

Nice Victorian anarobe barometer.

DAVID HARPER: It's solid oak.

It's English.

It's hand-carved with an onion-shaped top, sea scroll decoration, and the most wonderful color and patternation.

This is something that you cannot make new.

You can't reproduce it.

It takes 150 years of dirt, grime, wax, and moisture from skin in the handling to get that color and patternation.

And I absolutely love it.

1860 in date.

Beveled glass.

Fantastically constructed.

It would cost you, to have someone make that, 1,000 pounds, genuinely, today.

How much can I buy it for?

TOM: 55 would be my best.

How could I not do it, Tom?

I'm going to have it.

- Glad that.

Yep.

Thank you very much, indeed.

OK, let's see what else there is.

NARRATOR: Yep.

Let's do that.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Cake, anyone?

Tom-- I've got to tell you, Tom.

I absolutely love that bowl.

NARRATOR: Yeah, a fruit bowl for fruit.

Made in a period when we in the West had this crazed fascination with anything oriental.

And buying in oriental pieces was often exceptionally expensive, even at this time.

So making copies of oriental pieces was a better route to go, and cheaper than buying something that was coming in from the Orient.

And this is the maker.

So I've got J and M P B So Chinese, Japanese style and taste, but made from a factory in Glasgow.

Founded, I think, in 1841.

That's 1850.

That's a real antique.

Oh, it's got a cracking crack.

[THUNK] It's got that awful dull feeling.

Can you hear that?

[THUNK] How much is it?

Cheapy-cheap.

Cheapy-cheap?

35 on it.

I could do-- I could do 22.

Well, could we just make it 20 and be pals?

- Yeah, we could make it 20.

- Good man.

Thank you very much, indeed.

- It's been there a while.

Thank you very much, indeed.

Thank you.

Not since 1850, I hope.

No, no, no.

Definitely not that long.

Definitely not that long.

[LAUGHS] I've got to give you some money.

NARRATOR: 55 great British pounds spent.

Bowl?

Check.

Barometer?

Check.

DAVID HARPER: Cheers, Tom!

TOM: See you.

Thank you.

DAVID HARPER: See you.

NARRATOR: Taxi for Angus.

DAVID HARPER: How's my driving?

Um, not too bad.

Be honest.

Not too bad?

Yeah.

No, I mean-- I was a bit queasy earlier.

But I think I'm all right now.

DAVID HARPER: [LAUGHS] But I'm looking forward to driving it.

Yeah.

You'll enjoy it, I'm sure.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: [LAUGHS] NARRATOR: Until tomorrow, then.

Nighty night.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Good morning, troops!

Mustered for another tour of duty.

DAVID HARPER: How you feeling, Mr.

Confident?

- All right.

- [LAUGHS] Yeah.

I've got the first day out of the way, so that's-- yeah.

I've got a bit more confidence now.

A bit more confident?

Yeah.

You couldn't have any more confidence.

Underneath, there was a little bit of first day.

You know?

I didn't detect it.

No.

Well, I'm very good at not playing my hand.

Yeah.

You don't give much away, do you, Angus?

No.

[LAUGHS] [LAUGHS] [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Only a cat.

Yesterday, he gave away 65 pounds for a Nutcracker gnome-- That suits me to a tee.

--a spice box, and a set of Edwardian scales, leaving 125 pounds in his piggy-- [MUSIC PLAYING] --while David took the atmospheric pressure with a Victorian barometer-- And I absolutely love it.

NARRATOR: --an oil lamp, a travel table, and a fruit bowl.

So with a budget of 87 pounds, he's on the right-hand side today, but not at the wheel.

DAVID HARPER: I rarely ever sit in the passenger seat.

Well, this is my game plan, you see?

All right.

I'm going to just scare the living daylights out of you driving-- Oh, OK. --that you're not going to buy anything good today.

[LAUGHS] So I'll be a quivering wreck when I walk into the shop.

- That's my plan.

- OK. Well, it might work.

Yeah.

[LAUGHS] [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Well, there's no time for Angus to test this tactic, because it's time to drop David off and carry on to his first stop of the day, in the ancient and fair city of Perth on the banks of the silvery Tay.

M and K Antiques is the destination, presided over by Max.

[MUSIC PLAYING] What will be standing to attention for Angus?

Well, here's an item I recognize, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.

That's our current queen, of course.

Because this is a medal I've actually been issued myself, being an ex-serviceman.

So I've got one of these, and I wear it proudly, especially on Remembrance Day.

I mean, this is as-new, sort of as-issued.

Sad to see somebody's selling their medal so recently.

And it's giving me an idea of what my medals are worth.

[CHUCKLES] So lovely to see it.

Shame it's not on somebody's chest that's earned it.

NARRATOR: Mm.

Carry on, then, soldier.

Your mission here is not yet accomplished.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Quirky.

I said I was looking for quirky.

This is quirky.

I think it's been like a carrier for food.

It's got doors there.

So you'd probably set a burner in it that would have kept it warm.

A plate there.

You've got another hot plate here.

I think this would have had glass-set panels in it originally.

I can't see any marks on it to say what it's for.

But I like that.

It's quirky.

I think it's chancy.

A 75-pound ticket price on it.

It's one of those that could do well, or completely and utterly fail.

So I'm worried about that.

I've also seen this Victorian boot scraper.

Just a nice decorative bit of Victorian metalwork.

Very usable, practical.

That's my safe bet.

Can I stretch buying two items today?

I'm going to see what Max says about these.

Max, have you got a minute?

MAX: Yeah.

Yeah.

Just looking at this, quite a different thing.

Isn't it?

- Yeah.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: It's probably more than what the budget allows at the moment.

MAX: Right.

Well-- And the other thing that I was looking at was the boot scraper.

MAX: What about 100 for the pair?

100 for the pair?

I'm probably just going to have to go for one, because that would leave me about broke.

[LAUGHS] 80 for the pair?

Yeah, 80 pounds for the pair.

I'd be very happy.

- 80 pounds for the pair.

Yeah.

I mean, that's fantastic.

If you're happy with that, I'm very happy.

All right, yeah.

That's the deal.

Thank you very much.

No, that's great.

Thank you.

- Thank you.

80 pounds for you.

NARRATOR: Well, that was kind, sir.

At ease.

The work is done for the moment.

[ENGINE REVS] [MUSIC PLAYING] Time for David to travel a few miles north of Perth now and visit a place with a much-mispronounced name which has nothing to do with home baking, Scone.

[CHUCKLES] This was the crowning place of Scottish kings for centuries.

But it's the majestic grounds of Scone Palace, which have drawn David here today, and to meet forest conservator, Sid Haz, and hear how the seeds of these magnificent trees came to be sown in this arboretum and elsewhere up and down the land.

This is a product of plant hunters and collectors of the 18th and 19th century.

DAVID HARPER: Which I find fascinating, I've got to say.

They are treasure hunters, aren't they?

Absolutely, and real intrepid individuals.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Significant among those pioneers was David Douglas, a native of Scone.

Born in 1799.

And although a Scot, an interesting scholar, and most kids in Scotland, most boys went to school at that age.

So he was educated to read and write.

But he became an apprentice gardener in the gardens here, the walled garden just over behind us.

And it was ultimately he was to go to Glasgow and become-- working in the gardens of Glasgow University, where he met Professor Hooker, Sir William Hooker, who introduced them then to the Horticulture Society, later the Royal Horticultural Society, and recommended him as a plant hunter.

A plant hunter?

I mean, the title itself-- A great title, yeah.

It is fantastic.

SID: and this was a heroic age of horticulture, where there was a great interest in Britain, and elsewhere in Europe, in collecting plants from all around the world.

Because there was an economic interest.

Think of rubber going from one part of the world to another, breadfruit.

All these great traded plants are important.

And if you were the British empire, you wanted to take plants somewhere to a new land, grow them, make a lot of money.

So botanists had an economic importance in that time.

And it was a heroic age of botanic discovery.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Douglas traveled to the Northwest Pacific, spending 10 years collecting hundreds of species of the plants we now grow in our gardens.

He canoed and hiked thousands of miles through inhospitable territory, living off the land, climbing in the Rockies, encountering hostile natives, and fighting off grizzly bears.

Well, the average life expectancy of a plant hunter was a year at that time.

And of course, the great thing about the Pacific Northwest, it has these huge trees.

The tallest trees in the world.

The redwoods, the Douglas firs, the Sitka spruces, the silver ferns, and so on.

And Douglas collected these seeds, and many other things, right from the start and dispatched them back to this country, including the grounds of Scone plants.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Where 190 years later, they flourish.

DAVID HARPER: In your opinion, then, what was the most significant contribution he made to your world?

Well, I'm a professional forester.

Retired now.

But it's going to have to be a tree.

And Douglas introduced a number of trees, all of which have significance.

But perhaps the most important is the Sitka spruce, particularly important just now because we're about to celebrate 100 years since the founding of the Forestry Commission in 1919.

And that was the start of a deliberate program of tree planting to create a forest industry.

We nearly lost World War I because we didn't have enough timber to prop up the mines to get the coal out to support the war effort.

And we needed to create a timber reserve.

And when the time came to do that, Douglas had introduced Sitka spruce 80 years earlier, in the 1820s and 1830s.

And so we had this tree, which grows in all the wild places in uplands of the British Isles, and grows good-quality timber.

And know it supports in Scotland alone 15,000, 20,000 jobs.

And that is the greatest tribute to David Douglas, Sitka spruce.

However, the tree that's always most closely associated with Douglas is the one that bears his name, the Douglas fir.

And let's go and have a look at that now.

All right.

NARRATOR: This evergreen Native American tree is the world's second-tallest conifer.

But it's also found once a year in living rooms as a Christmas tree.

[CHUCKLES] To me, the Douglas fir is the best memorial to David Douglas.

It's a beautiful tree, as you can see.

This rich, orange-color, brown bark.

And although this is not the best specimen if you're a timber grower, a forester like me, it's a remarkable character tree with this lovely, great, big branch.

But Douglas fir, broadly speaking, is amongst the tallest of the trees.

It can grow here over 65 meters.

DAVID HARPER: Wow.

And of course, in North America, where the tallest of these trees are, they're way up to getting to over 100 meters.

It looks magnificent, it produces magnificent timber.

And if you like your smells, you smell at this time of year the sap's rising.

DAVID HARPER: Well, it's very sweet, isn't it?

Yeah.

It almost smells a bit like pineapple.

DAVID HARPER: Pineapple.

I can get that.

Absolutely, yeah.

DAVID HARPER: My gosh, that is amazing.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: David Douglas died in Hawaii in 1834, aged just 35.

Very sad ending.

On crossing across the island, he fell into a pit that been dug to trap wild cattle.

And unfortunately, there was a wild bull in that pit, and gored him to death.

And that's how he died.

I mean, going all around that world, and he had his little Scottie dog with him.

And his Scottie dog was at the edge of the pit, yapping and yapping.

But unfortunately, Douglas was killed.

DAVID HARPER: That is an unbelievable ending for a great man.

SID: Just sad.

Yeah.

DAVID HARPER: I mean, you couldn't write it.

Absolutely.

DAVID HARPER: But a fantastic monument to his life.

Here's the legacy, a growing legacy.

You see all around here is the plants and the trees.

DAVID HARPER: And they'll be here forever.

Absolutely.

Fantastic.

Thank you, sir.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: David Douglas, a tall tree, indeed.

Time to follow our smaller, but perfectly-formed native species now, the Ashworth.

[CHUCKLES] Angus is wending his way east from Perth to the village of Abernyte, and he's sounding very confident indeed about taking on Mr. Harper.

I think it's time to make way for the new, young, energetic, not so in-your-face, bright-trousered Angus Ashworth.

So I think we're going to do all right.

I've noticed he's dulled his trousers down today after being with me.

So he's-- I'm obviously affecting him.

NARRATOR: Goodness me.

It's taken how many series?

Anyway, our rival gents will meet at their last shop of the day, the Scottish Antique If they can find each other in this vast emporium, that is.

Angus is here first.

With well over 100 dealers, this place is packed to the gunnels with possibilities.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Here's Angus with Stephen in tow.

Thanks.

Yeah, so it's in this cabinet here.

It's just that chappy there.

- Right, lovely.

- Yeah.

Excuse me.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: It's a bear money bank, priced at 35 pounds.

OK, not quite what I was expecting it to be.

Black Forest.

When we refer to Black Forest, they did a lot of these bears carved out of hardwood.

Very nice detail, which is why I thought it's wood.

But it actually-- looks like it's a possibly, like, a spell-to-type metal.

It's missing the key, which is unfortunate.

But it's still a lovely, lovely chap.

And people like bears.

People collect bears.

Good, quality thing.

It's within budget, and leaves me a little bit of money left over.

That's a very strong possibility.

Can we put that to one side?

I'm going to keep looking.

I'm conscious that we're running out of time, so I'll come back to you.

And I'll be back to you shortly.

- OK.

Thank you.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Meanwhile, Mr. Harper has arrived and is perusing the worth.

[GRUNTS] I could have got you so-- I didn't flinch.

Did you see that?

You didn't flinch.

Well, I've got 20 minutes before it closes.

I've still got several buys to do, and I've got brew to finish.

So I'm just going to mooch around here a little bit and do a last-minute buy.

OK. Well, I'm going to be as cool as Angus.

Yep, fine.

Great.

I don't walk like that.

[LAUGHS] You will be by the end of the trip.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: I look forward to seeing it.

Now, come on.

Those antiques won't buy themselves.

Um-- hmm.

Shooting stick.

It's incredibly light, so it's a good design.

So easy to carry around.

What I love about it more than anything else, it has its maker stamped on the front there.

NARRATOR: Patented by William Mills of Sunderland, who later manufactured First World War munitions, the right royal posterior of Edward VII regularly rested upon one of these.

DAVID: This is your sinking stopper and screw attached to the base, stop your sinking in the mud.

So it's locked into place so the seat doesn't come loose when walking.

But you have to pull the lever, twist the seat.

And then listen to this.

Perfect action.

Rock solid.

Ready for comfort.

That's one of the best shooting sticks I've seen in a very, very long time.

It's priced at 20 quid.

I'm going to buy it, no hesitating.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Martin-- - Yeah.

Hi there.

Big purchase coming your way.

I've got to wedge of cash and my purchase.

I want it, please.

You want it?

Yeah.

Well, you can have it for 20.

And I'm very happy.

Very happy, indeed.

Thank you very much.

OK. And I shall see you again some time.

MARTIN: Yeah, OK.

So cheers.

Bye bye.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: That'll do, pig.

That'll do.

Come on, Angus.

Time to truffle out a purchase.

That's a fun little thing.

Look at this.

Carved wood articulated swan.

Yeah, the swan neck on there.

Every little bit's individual.

You can put it any position you want.

Black Forest style.

It's got a little repair to the wing there.

It's probably early 20th century, late 19th for the push.

That's really quite lovely, is that?

Very elegant.

Articulated wooden swan.

22 pounds.

That's OK. And do you know what?

That would go really well with the bear that I looked at.

I think put those two together as a lot, got nice interesting lot, which comes to-- the price of the bear, 55-- 57 pounds.

I've got 55.

I need to get 2 pounds and we've got a deal.

I'm going to go speak to Stephen.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Hi, Stephen.

- Hi.

Me again.

I found another piece here.

STEPHEN: Good.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: This little swan there.

Have you got the bear from earlier?

STEPHEN: I have.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: OK. See, I like these two.

35-pound ticket price on the bear, 22 on the swan.

That's 57.

Yeah.

Slight dilemma.

OK.

I've only got 55 pounds.

And I promised I would spend all my money.

OK. Well, we can do that for 55, yeah.

55 pounds?

Sell me, yeah.

That is wonderful.

Lovely.

Great.

Thank you very much.

So there we go.

It's all there, because that's all I've got.

[LAUGHS] - Here.

Thanks so much.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: Ta-da!

Their work here is done.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: There you go, David.

Let me get the door for you.

DAVID: Well, that's very kind of you.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah.

DAVID: And I noticed you've kept the keys in your pocket.

I'm driving.

You're driving?

No chance of that.

Yeah, right.

Yeah, well, not for long.

Be a battle of the keys.

[CHUCKLES] [LAUGHS] So you looking forward to Dundee?

I'm always looking forward to Dundee cake.

[ENGINE REVS] Bad driving already.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: [LAUGHS] NARRATOR: Is anyone else sensing some tension here?

Let's see how the mood is after some shut-eye.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Good morning.

How could the spirits not fail to be raised by the view of Dennis the Menace's hometown of Dundee on a lovely sunny day?

And the City of Discovery has a new jewel in its crown, the fantastic V where jute and whaling ships once sailed.

Today, though, David and Angus are off to a more traditional territory, Curr [MUSIC PLAYING] ANGUS ASHWORTH: Here we are.

DAVID: I know.

First auction.

I know.

Are you feeling happy and confident?

I'm all right, yeah.

You ready to lose some money?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I'm used to it.

I'm ready.

DAVID: [LAUGHS] [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Angus dived into his first road trip determined to spend every bean of his 200 pounds on five lots, and he did.

The bear, incredibly ordinary.

But the swan is a bit funky.

And if people catch on to the fact that that neck is moving, I think that could really fly.

Not that swans fly.

Oh, they do?

They do fly?

Yeah.

[LAUGHS] Well, hopefully this one won't.

NARRATOR: David, meanwhile, parted with a more parsimonious 133 pounds on his five lots, including the shooting stick.

Thoughts, Angus?

A little bit envious of this, because it's really my sort of field.

I think he's done well at 20 pounds.

I say at 40-60.

I think he could do well on this.

This is the best item he's bought.

Yeah, OK. Game's on.

45?

NARRATOR: Yes, it is.

What does fourth generation auctioneer of this family business, Steven Dewar, think?

[GAVEL SLAMS] STEVEN DEWAR: The lamp-- I like the lamp.

It's quite ecclesiastical.

It's a good size.

I'm not sure the shade's original to the lamp.

However, it's a good-looking object, and I think that should do fairly well on the auction.

The food server is quirky.

I haven't seen one quite like that before.

How that's going to sell, I'm not too sure.

I think we may have a wee struggle with that.

But we'll certainly give it our best shot.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: The bidders are assembled, and it's time for our chaps to be seated.

[MUSIC PLAYING] STEVEN DEWAR: [AUCTIONEER CHANT] There we go.

There we go.

That's one.

STEVEN DEWAR: [AUCTIONEER CHANT] Are you excited on the inside?

Yeah, yeah.

Great.

I'm raring to go.

Good.

I can sense it.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: So can I.

First under the hammer is David's oil lamp.

[MUSIC PLAYING] You do know there's a massive crack in it?

I don't like to talk about that.

I have 25 pounds.

It is bid at 25.

Are you bidding?

- Go on.

No.

No.

No.

35.

DAVID HARPER: Go on.

STEVEN DEWAR: 35 pounds on my book.

I have 35 pounds.

Any advance?

Get the gavel down.

[GAVEL SLAMS] Oh.

Yes.

3 pounds down on you.

NARRATOR: Yes, the lamp really failed to ignite.

Currently you're winning.

Don't get to like that feeling.

NARRATOR: Angus's first lot now, the Victorian boot scraper.

I have 30 pounds.

I have on my book at 30 pounds it is.

Is there any advance?

- Yes.

On the book?

- 5?

45?

Yes.

Well done.

I have 45 pounds now.

Any advance at 45?

[GAVEL SLAMS] - Well done.

- Good.

I'm happy.

Now I'm relaxed.

[LAUGHS] NARRATOR: Angus put the boot in there.

Sometimes traditional does it.

NARRATOR: Will David turn the tables now with his traveling oriental beauty?

Interest starts me 15 pounds.

Go on.

STEVEN DEWAR: I have 15 pounds.

- Go on.

- 20 anywhere?

Surely, now.

20 in the second row.

25 is my commission.

- Yes, go on.

- 30 is the number.

That is remarkable.

I have 30 pound in the second row.

30 pounds in the second row.

All done.

[GAVEL SLAMS] You know what's going to happen now, don't you?

Well, hold on.

Everyone who owns a table like that, they're going to put it in the bath-- - Yeah.

--and then on top of a radiator is a wool top.

NARRATOR: No, they're really not.

But he's made a tenner there.

I think you've done very well there.

- I know.

- Yeah.

Well done.

- I know.

Well done.

NARRATOR: Are you sitting comfortably?

Then I'll tell you the story of Angus, the bear, and the swan.

An opening bid of 20 pounds.

Oh, dear.

STEVEN DEWAR: I have 20 pounds.

It is at 20 pounds.

And 5, lady, 35.

35, lady's bid.

- No.

Keep going.

Keep going.

Lovely swan.

Keep it low.

STEVEN DEWAR: Any advance from the hall?

35 pounds and it will sell.

Oh, shame.

35 is done.

[GAVEL SLAMS] Blast it.

Blast it.

Blast it.

Blast it.

NARRATOR: So the bear and the swan died, and David pretended he wasn't delighted.

The end.

That was a big loss.

I know.

I know.

You're really down now, aren't you?

Well, it's commission.

Oh, that's going to kill your confidence in the next leg.

NARRATOR: Well, people selling barometers within glass cases really shouldn't throw stones.

David's turn next.

At 16 pounds it's bid, and 20 in the second row.

I have 20 pounds.

5 anywhere?

- Damaged barometer.

Damaged.

STEVEN DEWAR: I have 20 pounds in the second row.

And 5 anywhere?

- Damaged.

- Go on.

- Damaged.

At 20 pounds-- Get the gavel down.

STEVEN DEWAR: Are you all done?

Last chance.

- Oh-- 20 pounds and selling-- Oh.

[GAVEL SLAMS] Actually, that was a good price for that.

No, that's terrible.

Excellent price for that.

NARRATOR: Atmospheric pressure definitely changing to stormy.

I'm disappointed now, because that's a proper bit of cash.

I think that you should be pleased with that.

I'm not.

[LAUGHS] NARRATOR: Best agree to disagree, chaps.

Anyway, grubs up.

Time for Angus's brass lamp and food server now.

Interest on this one and bid 15 pounds.

Hold on.

STEVEN DEWAR: I have 16 pounds.

25?

35?

40?

- Go on.

- Oh-- STEVEN DEWAR: 40 on my far right.

Oh no.

Keep going.

STEVEN DEWAR: I have 40 pounds.

Is there any advance?

Are you all done?

- There's another one there.

I know.

He missed that.

45 front and center.

At 45 pounds, any advance at 45 pounds?

This is bad.

You predicted a loss.

45 and selling.

[MUSIC PLAYING] [GAVEL SLAMS] I'll take that.

It's what is face, minus a little bit of commission.

That's off.

Commission.

I'm happy.

NARRATOR: Things could always be worse, or better.

Well done.

Yeah.

No, no, I'd be happy with that.

NARRATOR: Nick up is David's shooting stick, which he has high hopes for.

Should do well on this.

I'm hoping so.

At 10 pounds is my first better.

15 seated.

20 standing.

25?

Oh, you don't feel good for now.

Come on.

Come on.

STEVEN DEWAR: 25 the good is bid.

At 25 pounds seated.

At 25.

Are you all done?

Yeah, they're all done.

They're all done.

Double down.

--at 25.

[MUSIC PLAYING] [GAVEL SLAMS] Can you believe it?

Made a fiver on that, and 10 pounds on that terrible India table.

NARRATOR: Yes, I can't believe it.

The world of antiques is mad.

I think I did all right there.

NARRATOR: Time to see how Angus's Edwardian scales measure up now.

There isn't any human being left in the world that actually buys scales.

That's the only problem.

That's the only issue.

They do great shop display pieces now in chemists and things like that.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

STEVEN DEWAR: 25.

I have 35 pounds for the scales.

At 35 pounds.

- This one's a worry.

- 45.

Yes.

STEVEN DEWAR: 50.

DAVID: Oh, dang.

STEVEN DEWAR: Second row, 50 pounds.

Any advance now?

50 is here.

At 50 pounds, it will sell.

[GAVEL SLAMS] - Um, well-- - Happy.

- You've got your quality.

Well done.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: 10 pounds sterling to Angus of that ilk.

Good.

I'm happy.

Yeah, yeah.

And I would be.

STEVEN DEWAR: [AUCTIONEER CHANT] Pouring it back a bit.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: David's last lot now, the Victorian fruit bowl made in Glasgow.

It's stained, and the top's all-- It's stained.

Do you know why it's stained?

Because it's 160 years old.

You'd be stained.

We'll say 20 pounds?

10?

- It's damaged.

- Oh.

- Damaged.

Surely now.

10 is bid, sir.

I have 10 pounds on my far right.

Glasgow.

I have 10 pound, 15 further down.

I'll come back.

20?

25?

No.

Go on.

STEVEN DEWAR: 25 is there.

Gentleman has bid at 25 pounds.

Is there any advance?

- Come on.

A couple down.

STEVEN DEWAR: I have 25 and selling.

[MUSIC PLAYING] [GAVEL SLAMS] Listen, it's a profit.

It is.

NARRATOR: Just.

You know what?

I'm just fine.

I mean, for a damaged bowl, that's good.

[LAUGHS] [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Angus, the soul of discretion.

It's his last chance now with the nutcracker in the spice box.

I thought they went well together.

Yeah.

You could put your nuts in the spice box and then crack them with your [INAUDIBLE].

Interest on these?

And I am bid 15 pounds commission.

Oh, straight in.

Straight in.

STEVEN DEWAR: 20 bid.

Thank you.

I have 20 pounds.

Is there any advance on 20?

Oh no.

STEVEN DEWAR: Are you all done?

20 pounds, last chance.

Oh-- 25?

30?

Ooh, he's straight away, I believe.

STEVEN DEWAR: One more?

35 or more.

My god, 35?

Yeah.

STEVEN DEWAR: 35 pounds.

Any advance?

DAVID: That one's going to go.

Well done.

[GAVEL SLAMS] Well, look at the smile on your face.

Hey, well done.

Yeah.

Wow is that.

[LAUGHS] NARRATOR: And Angus is quids-in at the last.

We had some hopes.

They were dashed.

Yes.

Welcome to our world.

Yes.

Live on dashed hopes.

You've got to take risks.

And they didn't pay off this time.

Listen, it's fine.

I'm very happy.

Now we're just going to try and work out where we are financially.

- I'll tell you what.

It's pretty tight.

- It's very tight.

- Yeah.

We should we go see where we're onto?

Follow.

STEVEN DEWAR: 25 pounds-- [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Time for the sums.

Angus embarked on his maiden voyage with 200 pounds, bravely blew the whole lot, with some success.

But after auction costs, made a net loss, finishing up with 172 pounds and 20 pence.

[GAVEL SLAMS] David was canny with his initial 200 pounds.

And after a couple of losses in sale room fees, he winds up this time with a total of 177 pounds and 70 pence.

So, by a teeny-weeny margin, he takes the laurels this time.

Well, into the sun.

What a lovely day.

[LAUGHS] I guess so.

That's it.

First auction done.

- Good.

Yeah.

You need to improve, Angus.

I'm going to give you some top tips.

I shouldn't have bought the bear.

Don't buy any more bears.

No.

Buy better things to make more money.

That's my tip to you.

[LAUGHS] Yeah.

NARRATOR: Cheeky.

[MUSIC PLAYING]